Tata Steel Chess 2026 Rounds 6–8: Abdusattorov Half a Point Ahead of Sindarov

Tournament Information

The Tata Steel Chess tournament is one of the longest-running chess tournaments in history. It has attracted the world's top players for decades and is currently celebrating its 88th edition. The Masters section pits 14 players in a big single-player round robin, setting the stage for exhilarating chess battles as the clash of styles and ratings makes for quite the spectacle. The Challengers section is similarly structured, and Tata Steel Chess also includes a well-attended Amateurs section.

Time control

The time control is 120 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by an additional 30 minutes for the rest of the game. The game starts off with no increment, but on move 41, a 30-second increment is introduced.

Lichess Broadcast

The Lichess broadcast coverage can be found here.

Lichess Interviews

Check out our on-site player interviews on YouTube after every round!

Lichess Blogs

Lichess will write blog posts after rounds 5, 8, 11, and 13.

Annotations

GM Renier Castellanos Rodriguez will annotate the games of the Masters section and WGM Petra Papp will annotate the games of the Challengers section.

For this blog, GM Renier Castellanos Rodriguez has annotated the games GM Jorden van Foreest vs. GM Aravindh Chithambaram and GM Vladimir Fedoseev vs. GM Gukesh Dommaraju.

For this blog, WGM Petra Papp has annotated the games GM Vasyl Ivanchuk vs. GM Max Warmerdam and GM Erwin l'Ami vs. GM Bibisara Assaubayeva.

Find all the annotations here.

Schedule

Masters Standings

Challengers Standings

Round 6

GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov vs. GM Gukesh D, 1-0

GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov was playing an intriguing back-and-forth game against world champion GM Gukesh D, but the game was ultimately decided by a sudden, huge blunder. In a classic Delayed Exchange Ruy Lopez, Abdusattorov played the rare 8. Nc3, soon steering the game into uncharted waters. The game retained its closed character, so, theoretically, it was Abdusattorov who had the advantage; however, at some point, Gukesh's pieces were just more harmoniously placed, so it was Gukesh who had the slight advantage. Abdusattorov did well to keep the game stable, though, and the pair were soon playing a triple heavy pieces middlegame. After three minutes of thought, Gukesh played the blunder, 36...Rg5??, calculating 37. exf6+?? but not 37. Qxf6+!. Abdusattorov played the latter move almost instantly, handing Gukesh his first loss of the tournament.

GM Hans Moke Niemann vs. GM Vincent Keymer, 0-1

GM Hans Moke Niemann has been playing the Italian Opening frequently in recent times, so Niemann's opening choice must not have come as a surprise to GM Vincent Keymer. Indeed, by move 17, Keymer was half an hour ahead on the clock, and, by that point, the tides on the board were also shifting in Keymer's favor. Niemann had to give up the bishop pair on move 20, but he was nowhere near lost just yet. The position remained slightly in Keymer's favor up until Niemann decided to open up the position on move 38 with 38. f4?, allowing Keymer's bishop pair to wreak havoc on the now much more open board.

GM Yağız Kaan Erdoğmuş vs. GM Jorden van Foreest, 1-0

GM Yağız Kaan Erdoğmuş; photo: Tata Steel Chess / Lennart Ootes

GM Yağız Kaan Erdoğmuş's game against GM Jorden van Foreest was easy to mistake for a very equal game, but the opposite-colored bishops in fact offered winning chances for Erdoğmuş as his dark-squared bishop was threatening important squares around Van Foreest's king. Erdoğmuş's position kept getting better and better, and, in time trouble, Van Foreest blundered on the 37th move with 37...Kf7??. Erdoğmuş actually missed the best move in the position, 38. Rxg7+! followed by 39. Bd4+, instead playing 38. Rxg5??, losing the advantage. Van Foreest blundered just a move later with 39...Ke7??, though, and Erdoğmuş found a pretty way to make use of his pieces to encircle the Black king and win the game.

Non-Decisive Games

GM Arjun Erigaisi's very rare opening choice in the Wade-Tartakower Defense almost worked out as, by move 19, Arjun was slightly better as Black against GM Matthias Blübaum. However, after misplaying the position, it was Blübaum who was winning, first after move 29 and later on after move 34. Unfortunately for Blübaum, he lost both advantages and had to eventually settle for a draw. Similarly, GM Aravindh Chithambaram VR.'s game against GM Javokhir Sindarov also followed a similar pattern. Aravindh's exchange sacrifice was well-timed, creating safety for Aravindh, but after another series of missed moves, Sindarov was winning again; alas, a draw was soon agreed after Sindarov did not find 40...Qxc5!. Meanwhile, both GM Anish Giri and GM Vladimir Fedoseev were pressing against GM Thai Dai Van Nguyen and GM Praggnanandhaa R, respectively, but both games were rather equal and ended in draws (game 1 and game 2).

Round 6 Challengers

The Challengers saw six decisive games and just one draw: IM Faustino Oro vs. GM Max Warmerdam (game), GM Vasyl Ivanchuk vs. IM Eline Roebers (game), GM Daniil Yuffa vs. IM Lu Miaoyi (game), GM Marc'Andria Maurizzi vs. GM Bibisara Assaubayeva (game), IM Carissa Yip vs. GM Andy Woodward (game), and GM Velimir Ivić vs. GM Erwin l'Ami (game).

GM Andy Woodward; photo: Tata Steel Chess / Lennart Ootes

We caught up with GM Max Warmerdam and FM Vedant Panesar after their games:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5GvWlfy8Nc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtYWwJSBJx4

Round 7

GM Vincent Keymer vs. GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov, 0-1

GM Vincent Keymer's 7. g4 against GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov's Semi-Slav Defense was part of Keymer's preparation, but Abdusttorov was not perturbed at all and kept playing accurate move after accurate move. Indeed, Keymer never had an advantage, and when a draw offer was on the cards, Keymer decided to play on, choosing 19. Ba5?!. That move ended up being Keymer's downfall as Abdusattorov won an exchange after another mistake, 20. Bd3?!, and Keymer never had any chances to come back into the game.

We caught up with GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov after his win:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLvbp4EXrrI

GM Arjun Erigaisi vs. GM Yağız Kaan Erdoğmuş, 0-1

GM Arjun Erigaisi also did not get much of an advantage as White against GM Yağız Kaan Erdoğmuş. The game was sharp from the start, with great care being required from both sides. By move 30, the engine still evaluated the position as being equal, but with a material imbalance of bishop pair + passed pawn vs. knight + rook on the board, it was Erdoğmuş who had the better chances. Truly, Arjun started going astray by that point, and on move 42, 42. Re1?? was the final blunder which sealed Arjun's fate.

GM Gukesh D vs. GM Anish Giri, 0-1

In the third Black win of the day, GM Gukesh D also was not any better as White against GM Anish Giri. Despite Gukesh having the bishop pair on an open board, it was Giri who had the slightly better position as Gukesh's weaknesses were starting to look more exposed. Giri found a strong maneuver to get his pieces into the game, and Gukesh was soon facing the winds of an extremely powerful attack. With an accurate exchange sacrifice, Giri won the game on the light squares.

We caught up with GM Anish Giri after his win:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xslhhuuIVc

GM Jorden van Foreest vs. GM Aravindh Chithambaram VR., 1-0

GM Jorden van Foreest; photo: Tata Steel Chess / Lennart Ootes

GM Jorden van Foreest faced an opening he has tried already in this tournament, the King's Indian Defense. Unfortunately for GM Aravindh Chithambaram VR., Van Foreest was simply extremely well-prepared and played a nearly perfect game, refuting Aravindh's chosen line with amazing precision.

GM Renier Castellanos Rodriguez has annotated this game for you to learn from:

Non-Decisive Games

GM Praggnanandhaa R sacrificed an entire rook against GM Matthias Blübaum, but the game ended in a draw after Praggnanandhaa decided to repeat moves when he could have, in fact, played on with the very dangerous (for both sides) 29. Bb5!?. Meanwhile, GM Thai Dai Van Nguyen had a good chance to get his first win of the event as he had the much better endgame against GM Vladimir Fedoseev; ultimately, though, he could not find the most accurate continuation to increase his advantage. In the game between GM Javokhir Sindarov and GM Hans Moke Niemann, deep into the endgame, it was Niemann who had the better chances; however, the game was pretty much equal for the most part, and a draw was the most logical result.

Round 7 Challengers

GM Marc'Andria Maurizzi vs. IM Eline Roebers; photo: Tata Steel Chess / Lennart Ootes

The Challengers saw two decisive games: IM Lu Miaoyi vs. GM Vasyl Ivanchuk (game) and GM Marc'Andria Maurizzi vs. IM Eline Roebers (game).

Round 8

GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov vs. GM Anish Giri 0-1

GM Anish Giri won again as Black, opening up the tournament and delivering to GM Nodirbek Abusattorov the first loss of his tournament. The game started off well for Giri, when both he and Abdusattorov showed deep preparation in the Ragozin Defense of the Queen's Gambit Declined. With the kingside fully locked, though, Abdusattorov started suffering from a lack of space, and soon enough his pieces, especially his dark-squared bishop and the wayward knight on h4, were running short on squares. Abdusattorov tried his best to active the pieces and create counterplay, but Giri was playing very accurately. Abdusattorov was given a big chance on move 42, however, when Giri's 42...Rc1+?? turned out to be a blunder. Abdusattorov then counter-blundered on move 45 with 45. Kc3??, whereafter Giri gave no more chances.

GM Vladimir Fedoseev vs. GM Gukesh D, 0-1

World champion GM Gukesh D; photo: Tata Steel Chess / Lennart Ootes

GM Gukesh D bounced back from his two back-to-back losses with a fine win against GM Vladimir Fedoseev in the Nimzo-Indian Defense. Fedoseev's 18. e4 pawn break was ill-timed as Gukesh's rook eyed Fedoseev's queen on c2. 18...c5 was a good counterbreak by Gukesh, liberating his pieces and emerging two pawns up. Gukesh then did not face any huge issues in converting his advantage.

GM Renier Castellanos Rodriguez has annotated this game for you to learn from:

Non-Decisive Games

GM Yağız Kaan Erdoğmuş was pressing a small advantage against GM Praggnanadhaa R, and just as he achieved a winning endgame on move 36, he eschewed taking the bishop, twice, allowing Praggnanadhaa a chance to defend. Another exciting game was that between GM Hans Moke Niemann and GM Jorden van Foreest, where, in a Sveshnikov, Niemann had the advantage, but the position remained highly complicated, and actually rather dangerous for Niemann at one point. In another game of missed opportunities, for a long while, GM Matthias Blübaum had a completely winning position against GM Thai Dai Van Nguyen, but the position remained complicated, and after 30. f4??, Blübaum saw his advantage evaporate, and was even in some trouble for one brief moment. Meanwhile, GM Vincent Keymer was better out of the opening against GM Javokhir Sindarov, but after two inaccurate moves on moves 16 and 17, he lost his advantage and the game was equal, ending in a draw on move 48. In the fifth drawn game of the day, GM Aravindh Chithambaram VR.'s game against GM Arjun Erigaisi was a topsy-turvy affair where both sides had chances to win the game, but, ulimately, managed to draw.

Round 8 Challengers

The Challengers saw six decisive games: IM Carissa Yip vs. GM Aydin Suleymanli (game), IM Faustino Oro vs. GM Andy Woodward (game), GM Velimir Ivić vs. IM Eline Roebers (game), GM Vasyl Ivanchuk vs. GM Max Warmerdam (game), GM Erwin l'Ami vs. GM Bibisara Assaubayeva (game), and GM Marc'Andria Maurizzi vs. IM Lu Miaoyi (game).

GM Vasyl Ivanchuk; photo: Tata Steel Chess / Lennart Ootes

WGM Petra Papp has annotated Ivanchuk's and Assaubayeva's games for you to learn from:

We caught up with GM Andy Woodward and GM Bibisara Assaubayeva after their wins:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZB4Rr54B9sg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Rqdu4bEDic